


Love Me Tender

by that_fictional_bitch



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Mentions of Elvis Presley Songs, Old Age, Past Relationship(s), Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Unhappy Ending, reader uses she/her prnouns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:08:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27727265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/that_fictional_bitch/pseuds/that_fictional_bitch
Summary: Inspired by "Love Me Tender" by Elvis Presley and that one scene in CA:TWS where Steve is reunited with Peggy.AU where you dated and were in love with Bucky in the 40s before he was captured by HYDRA. It is now present day and after all these years, he has finally returned to you, only the circumstances aren't what you dreamed.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers
Kudos: 7





	Love Me Tender

Seventy-five years.

You unknowingly waited for 75 goddamn years for a man that you believed was never coming back.

But he did. Your man, your love, your Bucky was back. And he was standing not two feet from you and not a single coherent thought was running through your mind. So you just stood there, absolutely fucking dumbfounded and just staring at him, and he just stared right back. He had a slight smirk on his face, like he knew that you would react like this. He looked more or less exactly as he did all those years ago. Strong jaw, which was now covered in a small amount of stubble, he had grown his hair out so that it was now near shoulder length, and he was a bit more muscular than you remembered.

He said your name, not like he was trying to get your attention, but more like he was assuring himself that that was in fact, your name.

"James..." It was more a question than a statement.

"Oh c'mon now doll," he said, Brooklyn accent slightly slipping through as he spoke, "you should know by now that that name is reserved for my mother and the bedroom."

You chuckled at that and stepped aside so that he could squeeze into your apartment. It was a small space that only had the essentials; a kitchen/dining room combo, bathroom, and one bedroom. You had originally bought it back in the 40's when you were young and only saw it as a starter apartment, but as you grew older, it grew on you. Now that you were 103 years-old and had a sweet young nurse who would bring you your food, medications, and anything else that you might need, you really couldn't imagine being anywhere else, especially one of those god awful old people homes that your nieces and nephews tried to get you into.

"So you're still livin' in the city after all these years." he said.

"Yea. I had planned on moving into the suburbs after the war to lay down some roots but after everything that happened..." you trailed off.

"You would feel like you were leaving me behind." he finished for you, almost as if he could read your mind. You looked up at him in shock. "Relax doll. Steve told me how he felt the same way about leaving S.H.I.E.L.D because of Peggy."

You sighed in relief, but as you did, you broke into a violent coughing fit, and Bucky, ever the gentleman, rushed over to you, escorted you over to the couch and went to grab you a nearby glass of water and give it to you.

After the coughing had subsided you looked over to Bucky only to realize that he was looking at you like you were a hurt puppy. "Ja-Bucky c'mon, don't look at me that way. I may look like I'm about to just drop dead right here right now but I promise I won't." He gave you a weak smile and nod in response.

"So, I assume you have some questions for me." he said, finally addressing the elephant in the room.

"I do," you simply stated, "but none are worth you worrying over. I'm just glad that you're back."

"Me too doll, me too."

The two of you sat in silence, with the exception of your record player playing in the background, for a few moments, neither of you knowing where to go from there. The record that you had been listening to ended and you and Bucky only had the telltale clicking of said record to dull the silence between the two of you before he abruptly got up and said, "Let's see if your music taste has improved over the last 70 years doll" he teased and made his way over to your impressive stack of records that you had collected over your impressive lifespan.

"Seventy-five years." you corrected him playfully.

After watching him stare at the records for what seemed like eternity, he finally grabbed one and kept it hidden from you as he made his way over to the record player and placed the record on the turntable and lowered the needle.

He turned to you as the music crackled to life and you immediately recognized the song as Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender", a favorite of yours.

He walked back over to you and offered you his hand.

"Dance with me doll."

"Buck my dancing days are behind me."

"Doll c'mon, you said yourself that you won't drop dead so what's one dance?"

You sighed, knowing that he was right, and took his hand and he gently pulled you off of the couch and into his arms. You were confused for only a second as to why he was wearing a glove on his left hand and were about to say something, but then you remembered all the things that you had read about the fearsome Winter Soldier and decided to drop it.

"Isn't this song past your time old man?" you asked, remembering the release date.

"It is, but Sam and Steve showed me a few tips to sweep you off your feet all over again, doll"

You chuckled, "So notorious playboy James Barnes finally knows what first date jitters feel like. I can die a happy woman." you joked.

He laughed at that and as you gazed at his smile, you could almost see the man you fell for all those years ago. The happy, go-lucky soon-to-be army officer who knew nothing of the horrid fate that would befall him.

You swayed gently to the music together for the remainder of the song, not a word spoken between the two of you, just enjoying each other's presence for the first time in a long, long time. Seemingly out of nowhere, your knees gave out and Bucky wasted no time scooping you into his arms and carrying you bridal style into your room and laying you gently on the bed. You broke into another coughing fit and Bucky went back out to the living room to fetch the water from earlier.

He reentered your room with the water and helped you to drink whatever was left in the glass. You both stared at each other intently before he rose from his seat near your bed and gave you a chaste, but loving kiss on the forehead.

"I'm so glad you're back Bucky," you said, breaking into tears that you didn't know you were holding in. "It's been so, so long."

"I know doll, I know." he said as he gently stroked your hand with his flesh hand until you fell asleep. The last thing you remember before drifting off is the song finishing, and the warmth that you had secretly been craving since 1945.

\---BUCKY'S POV---

I stayed with her until she fell asleep. I still couldn't believe she had spent 75 years without me and I, her. As her breathing evened out, I went to her kitchen to get myself a glass of water. As I reentered, I noticed that she hadn't moved, which was unusual because I specifically remember her being a tornado of movement whenever we would spend the night together.

"Doll?" I tried. Nothing

I said her name, louder this time. Still nothing. Now I was panicking. I gently shook her shoulder and to no avail. Finally I placed my hand under her nose and my worst fear became reality. No breath. I placed my hand on her neck, trying, praying that I would be able to find a pulse. Nothing.

She was gone.

I had just gotten her back and now I lost her all over again. I fell back into the chair that I had placed by her bed in shock. A single tear managed to escape my eye and rolled down my cheek. It was soon followed by a waterfall of tears that I couldn't nor wanted to stop. I took one of her frail hands in both of mine, kissed it and bent down so that my forehead was lying on her sheets beside her as I continued to weep.

I stayed like that for God knows how long, only to move when I heard another pair of footsteps enter the room.

"Buck, are you-" Steve stopped mid sentence as he took in the scene before him. "Jesus Buck is she.." he trailed off, not wanting to provoke the monster that we both knew was in me if I happened to lose my cool.

Sniffing I responded, "Yea she is. In her sleep, like Peggy. It was peaceful. We danced to that song you and Sam showed me."

"That's great Buck. But, and I hate to do this, we can't stay here."

"I know Steve, I know. I'll meet you outside. Just give me a few minutes to say goodbye."

"Yea of course." And with that he left. And I was alone once again.

I gave her one last kiss on the crown of her head, and whispered one last "I love you doll." before exiting her apartment and venturing out into the world once again.

Steve was waiting about a block away leaning on his motorcycle typing away on his phone about God knows what, looking solemn. He didn't know her well, but they got along so he understood what I was feeling because of what happened with Peggy.

He tried talking to me but I stopped him with a quick "Don't". We hopped on our respective bikes and wove in between the New York traffic on our way back to the Tower.

When we arrived, I talked to no one. A few Stark employees gave me a friendly smile, but I paid them no mind. When we reached the living floors, where all our fellow Avengers stayed, no one but Nat dared to approach me, which had me come to the conclusion that Steve had told everyone about what had happened. She attempted a hug, but I brushed her off, not wanting to cry in front of the rest of the team. I made a beeline to my room and locked the door, not wanting to be disturbed. I plopped down onto my couch, and just stared off into space.

After about an hour, I got up and started to prepare for bed. As I walked past my kitchenette, I noticed something. It was an old photo, of me. And her. It was something that I've looked at a million times, and in the past it had given me hope. But now, now it was just a reminder. After staring for a few moments, I pulled back my fist and punched it as hard as I possibly could. I hit it over, and over, and over again until there was a sizable hole in the wall and all that was left of the photo was glass shards and a broken frame.

I removed my fist from the wall (luckily I had used my left fist so there wasn't any blood to clean up) and sank to the floor, and cried myself to sleep.

THE END


End file.
